Bill to make health services availble to women

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Planned Parenthood of Northern New England is lobbying for a bill that would make preventive care and family planning services more available to low-income women in Maine.

The Women's Health Initiative, which is now before the legislature, would cover 90 percent of these health services for women who make less than 23-thousand dollars a year.

Supporters say it would reduce the amount of unintended pregnancies and make birth control more available.

Opponents of the bill say it's another push to expand MaineCare Services and these services are already available to women at Planned Parenthood Clinics throughout the state.

But Planned Parenthood says women are falling through the cracks.

"We are not everywhere, we are not capturing the entire population. This is really an effective way to ensure that low income underinsured women have access to these preventative services," said Nicole Clegg, the Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.

The bill is expected to be voted on sometime next week. If passed it is expected to help 30-thousand women in Maine.